Janet Christie

Micro-needling to tighten, lift and rejuvenate the skin, but without the side effects of lasers and peels

Dermapen, Collagen Induction and Scar Repair Therapy at Aesthetica, Edinburgh. Full face and neck, £180, course of three £500, course of five £800. Body Area price on request. Dermapen is micro-needling to tighten, lift and rejuvenate the skin. The results are similar to laser treatments, IPL, laser resurfacing and chemical peels, but without the side effects of bleeding and pain.

Why go?

Because your skin is sagging, dull, wrinkled, scarred, pigmented or looking in need of a pick me up.

Our spy says

Gone are the days when needling treatments involved tracking a mini roller up and down your skin, dragging away at the epidermis and making your face feel like Hampden being primed for a cup final.

These days it’s all about Dermapen, a device which is able to deliver more direct vertical needling and minimise epidermal damage, so there’s less bleeding and discomfort all round.

The idea is that because it’s a pen it can target tricky to reach spots around the eyes, nose and lips, aiming to reduce fine lines, open pores, wrinkles, surgical, acne and trauma scars, stretch marks and pigmentation. Because the needles reach below the skin’s top surface to deliver antioxidants and hyaluronic serum deep into the epidermis they also stimulate natural collagen reproduction.

At Aesthetica all is calm, light and professionalism as Jacqui Fenner leads me into a spotless treatment room where she explains the process, then gets to work. I lie and relax as she cleanses and exfoliates my skin to remove excess oil and create an even peel. Next she gets started with the Dermapen, concentrating on cheeks, chin and the neck, wiping away any tiny spots of bleeding caused by the needle. There is no pain, and for me, only slight discomfort from the needling.

When all of the face has been treated with short bursts of the pen, hyaluronic serum is smoothed over the skin to hydrate and soothe then eye cream applied. Jacqui finishes with a sweep of Elizabeth Arden PRO Triple Action Protector SPF 50, a hydrating sunscreen which also contains a tinted moisturiser to cover any signs of the treatment.

There is slight redness on my cheeks, but not that anybody else notices, and I follow instructions to avoid direct UV exposure, intensive cardio, hot showers, other clinical facial treatments, self-tanning, swimming and tattooing.

The results

After a couple of days I start to notice skin that looks plumped up and within a week an outbreak of neck acne of a ferocity not seen since teenage years is entirely eradicated. Three months later it hasn’t returned. Result.